Study finds virus contributes to obesity

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Study finds virus contributes to obesity

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

"Question, why wouldn't they be able to develop an anti-viral treatment for those who are obese where virus has been a factor to causing / maintaining it?"

From that article: If a viral cause of obesity can be confirmed, a vaccine could be developed, maybe within five to 10 years, to prevent the virus from making some people fat, Dhurandhar said. However, it wouldn't help people already obese, he said.

I read this as meaning that while a potential vaccine could keep the virus from causing additional fat storage, it wouldn't actually reverse previous weight gain. Once the cells are changed, they're changed. So, I'm guessing that those folks would have to lose the weight the old fashioned way. (No, not diet pills! wink

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The article also mentioned the instances of obese people having antibodies to the virus, which would seem to imply that the virus and change of cells into fat might be a one-time thing and therefore a vaccine after the fact might be pointless.

That's just my interpretation.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Well, yeah, that is most likely the line of thinking being followed. But, it seems like there is no indication that they would even consider thinking outside the box. It looks like they are only looking a the causative factor instead of a corrective factor as well.

Maybe there is nothing that can be done once one has been infected and the virus mutates cells, but shouldn't that be something that is also determined by research? Don't researchers look for cures in other diseases they find are caused by viruses? If so, what would make the difference in virus caused obesity?

Besides, if we don't dabble in and create retro-virus treatments, how will we ever be able to experience the problems as portrayed on ST that wunderkinds like Wethley, The Boy, Crusher will save us all from?

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Well, it's hard to know that they didn't look at those possibilties from just this one article.

Maybe it just turned out to be so far from possible that it wasn't even mentioned.

Maybe I just don't want there to be an easy way since I'm working so hard myself. evileye

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

I'm sure something if it could be developed it wouldn't be an easy cure all type of thing (as in rub this cream on and watch the fat liquefy and ooze out of the skin and in 6 visits to the clinic you will come out looking like the lean machine you were before getting fat), but part of a comprehensive approach. The reason I wonder if they (meaning the research community / medical community) are ostensibly poo-pooing the idea for now is because of how often their methods do not really end up causing a permanent correction in the individual. Now, they can claim that it is because the person regresses to past habits, etc., and that is probably true in a fair number of cases. But, I also know that it is not always the case. If dieting and exercise were the only factor, then people would (like they always seem to be) need to be on those diet programs in perpetuity. I've even known of people who have had their stomach stapled and it hasn't worked at correcting their obesity problem.

I remember a concept learned in the beloved PE Class, Fitness for Death, at BYU years ago about this thing called the weight thermostat. The only way to effectively lose weight and keep it off is to do it gradually so that the body doesn't react as if it is in starvation mode. You know, common sense sort of stuff. I wonder if maybe there is a starvation trigger that gets turned on a lot easier physiologically by exposure to this virus. If so, is there a way of finding that trigger and turning it back off?